The required but insincere apology

You can do the apology followed by a fist pump like Bartoli did at Wimbledon this year.

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The casual wave after a net cord winner is the most disingenuous gesture in the game. It's also a reminder that tennis is, at it's core, (as Cindy said earlier) a gentlemen's game. Although an anachronism, it's often expected, and since there's little effort involved in making the gesture, why not do it?

Among my frequent partners though, there's no wave or apology. We go straight to the Bartoli fist pump, and punctuate it with a "yeah!"

A lot of you seem to be missing the point of the apology and the reason for offering it.

This is a subtle thing, so you one-dimensional types, try very hard to understand.

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This thread is very interesting to read.

I think you are correct that some folks simply have trouble grasping social niceties that take little effort. They put a needlessly literal and significant interpretation on it, and then declare their fervent opposition.

It's weird, in a way. Of all the things upon which a person could choose to take a stand, they take a stand on this one?

The little hand or racket wave communicates, "Dude, I totally understand how that feels." Why waste any mental energy trying to beat down this friendly little tennis custom?

Have you noticed how pro players hold up a ball before they serve with new balls? How unnecessary and silly this is. The receiver knows full well that the balls are being changed. The umpire just announced, "New balls." The ball kids were scrambling around changing out the balls. Yet the server still has to hold up the ball and say "New balls," and if the server doesn't do this the receiver gets annoyed. It is a nicety with no purpose, but it is a nice little custom.

I suppose the server could plant his flag and refuse to say "New balls." But why go there?

Same thing when you hit a player with the ball. Even if you didn't hurt them, even if it was a legitimate shot, you still say sorry or raise your hand or some such. Why? Just a friendly little tennis custom.

Why don't we all just keep on observing these little customs, just to do what we can to keep the game friendly, civil and polite? It won't hurt a bit, I promise.

I always apologize with the hand held up and often even verbally say something as well. I will even do this if my opponent still wins the point after I hit the tape or framed the shot. I know I am pretty unusual in that regard, but I guess the motivation for that comes from me feeling bad for my opponent having to deal with that weird ball and also from my disdain in myself for the mishit. In the end, though, it mostly balances out with both players getting favorable luck here and there so it's not that big of a deal.

On a related note, though, I do have a guy I hit with regularly who always seems to come up with a frame lob or net cord pass on crucial points deep into a set. We both laugh it off, of course, but it really does happen more often than not in tight sets.

Do you apologize when you hit a line and the ball skids of the the paint/chalk for a winner.

Maybe not for hitting the tape on a serve or groundstroke. If it was obvious that the opponent was in position and has demonstrated enough ability that even a ball skidding normally off the tape will come back, a crazy bounce b/c my ball caught the edge of a nail holding down the tape?

Yeah, even that gets the "hand up"....but I sure aint giving them a let.....heh heh heh